Foot-brace for row-boats



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WlLLIAMlI. RICE, OF ADDISON, NEW YORK..

FooT-BRAcE FOR Row-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,558, dated October 22, 1889. Application filed October 27, 1888. Serial No. 289,267. (No model.)

Improvement in Foot Rests or Braces, of whichv the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to a foot rest or brace suitable to be used in row-boats; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and specically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the foot-rest embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional View of the same, showing a portion of the shell of the boat to illustrate the manner of securing the rest in place. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the rest in its folded position.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the base-board of the foot-rest, which is provided on its under side with the depending pin B to engage a socket in the boat,- as shown at b in Fig. 2, whereby the said board is held in the desired position. lfthe transverse ribs of the boat are exposed, as shown in Fig. 3, a cleat O on the under side of the base-board, as shown in the said figure, is substituted for the pin B and is engaged with one of the ribs. I t will be seen that by engaging the said cleat with diiferent ribs or engaging the above-mentioned pin with different sockets in the lining of the boat the rest may be arranged at any desired distance from the seat to suit the operator.

D represents the foot-plate, having the heelplate E, which is rounded or curved 011 its under side, so that when the foot-plate is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the rear end of the heel-plate is raised above the base-board.

F is a shoulder at the front end of the heelplate, and G G are depending guiding-ears, which bear against opposite edges of the baseboard and hold the foot-plate in position thereon.

I-I represents a swinging link consisting of the side arms h h, which are pivoted at their 5o front ends to opposite edges of the baseboard near its front end, and are mounted at their rear ends on a-transverse spindle or pin I, which is arranged in apertured earsK K on the under side of the foot-plate a short distance'v from its front end.

The foot-plate is provided with a central longitudinal bar L, on which slides the free or looped end of the swinging arm or loop M, the other end of the said arm or loop being pivoted to the base-board.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the foot-,plate is nor- Inally in its folded or horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, and when it is desired to elevate it for use, thefoot is placed on the footplate, and the heel-plate is pressed downward at its rear end by the motion of the foot, thereby elevating the toe portion of the footplate sufficiently to enable a forward pressure on the foot-plate to throw the toe thereof up into the position shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. The free end of the limiting arm or loop M slides longitudinally on the central bar of the foot-plate until the proper inclination of the foot-plate is attained, when the said arm strikes against the shoulder N at the rear end of the said central bar, and therear end of the heel-plate is clamped down tightly on the base-board, thereby locking the rest rigidly in place.

When the foot-plate is in the elevated or operative position, the depending ears G G at the rear end of the heel-plate are engaged on opposite sides of the base-board, and hold the rear end of the said platelfrom lateral Inove- Inent, A,and when the plate is in its folded or horizontal position the ears G G at the front end of the said heel-plate engage the edges of the base-board.

The advantages `of this foot-rest will be obvious. When not in use, it is folded compactly on the bottoni of Vthe boat, out of the way, and when needed it is thrown instantly into the operative position simply by a Inovement of the foot, which is placed thereon.

Having thus described the invention, l claim l. The footnest D, having a convex under side, whereby its toe Inay be elevatedby depressingits heel, in combinationwith the baseboard A, and the brace H, pivoted "to said base-board and to said foot-rest near its toe, substantially as speciiied.

2. Ina foot-rest, the combination, with the IOO base-board, of the foot-plate, the swinging link connecting the foot-plate near its front end Wit-h the base-board, and the limiting arm or loop pivoted to the base-board and sliding at its free end on a longitudinal bar of the foot-rest, substantially as described.

3. In a foot-rest, the combination, with the baseboard,of the foot-plate eonneoted to the base-board by the swinging link` H, the depending guidin g-ears on the foot-plate en gaging opposite edges of the base-board, and the limiting arm or loop M, pivoted to the baseboard, sliding at its free looped end on a central longitudinal bar L of the foot-plate and adapted to engage or bear against a shoulder N on the said plate to hold the plate in the desired position, substantially as specified.v

4. In a foot-rest, the combination, With a suitable base-board, of the foot-'plate provided with a heel-plate bearing on the said baseboard and elevated above the same at its free or rear end, and the link H, connecting the front end of the foot-plate to the base-board, substantially as specified.

5. In a foot-rest, the combination, with a suitable base-board, of the foot-plate provided With a heel-plate having its under side curved or rounded upwardly toward its free or rear end, the depending guiding-ears on the heel-plate, the swinging link connecting the front end of the foot-plate to the baseboard, and the limiting arm or loop pvoted to the base-board and sliding at its free end on alongitudinal bar on the foot-plate and adapted to engage a shoulder N at one end of the said barrsubstantially as speoied.

6.V In a foot-rest, the .combination of the base-board provided on its under side With a depending pin or cleat to engage a suitable socket or rib, andv the foot-plate loosely oonneoted to the base-board, substantially as specified.

In testimony that lolaiin the foregoing as my own. 'I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. RICE.

Witnesses: CHARLES W. SACKETT, FRED. C. TABER. 

